Dusting the Closet
by RamblingPug
Summary: Makoto swallows, knowing that Haru hates these sort of things to be sprung upon him, hates surprises, just hates not knowing, really, and searches for how to say this is in the easiest way possible. Briefly he wonders about the nagging feeling tugging at his heart that makes him slightly, just slightly, guilty about this. "Haru, she's my fiancé."
1. Chapter 1

**Summary : **Makoto swallows, knowing that Haru hates these sort of things to be sprung upon him, hates surprises, just hates not knowing, really, and searches for how to say this is in the easiest way possible. Briefly he wonders about the nagging feeling tugging at his heart that makes him slightly, just slightly, guilty about this.

"Haru, she's my fiancé."

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><p><strong>Disclaimer : <strong>I don't own any of these characters except my OC, Keiko Nase. Also, the cover image doesn't belong to me, it's just fanart I found online, it was posted by ahvia on tumblr.

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><p><strong>PROLOGUE<strong>

Haru has always thought that there was a limit to how unorganized a person could be. But here he was, back in the house after being gone less than 3 months and it looks like it has been torn apart by a hurricane.

As he clankers around in the kitchen, hoping to put together some semblance of order in the place where he was to somehow cook a decent meal for himself, Haru wonders where his roommate, the one responsible for this utter state of domestic disaster , and the only one who is actually crazy enough to call this dump a home, had gone off to.

Because Haru had come home last night only to find the house empty, looking like it had been uninhabited for days.

But knowing Makoto, that is usually the state of affairs even when he is very much in the house.

Grilling the mackerel that he had bought earlier in the day, he puts on just enough for two because he wishes Makoto would just hurry up and come home already, because you know, dinner will get cold and _nobody_ likes cold mackerel. A fact that he had painfully realized during his training camp in the last 3 months.

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><p>The training camp in Nagoya was particularly grueling and he is thankful that it is off season, because he wasn't sure just how much more of the over competitive spirit he could tolerate. He isn't like Rin who seemed like he could get off just listening to the coach go on and on about his 'time' or the Olympics.<p>

Even though in the last 4 years he has finally come to appreciate the beauty of swimming with so many amazing people who love to swim just like he does, there are sometimes, when he wants nothing but to close his eyes and go back to his friends and Makoto in particular and maybe, just stop for a moment.

So it grates on his nerves that Makoto isn't there to open the door when he comes back.

He had rung the bell a couple of times when he came back, but there was no answer. Figuring Makoto would have probably just stepped out for a bit, he fishes out his set of keys, opens the door and decides to make himself at home, which, he realizes, would involve quite a few hours of first making the house _look _like a home.

Unlike Makoto who could thrive perfectly fine in conditions akin to that of a pigsty, Haru genuinely likes order and has no problem maintaining it.

He sees sheets of paper strewn across the table, and upon closer inspection they look official, presumably of the previous client Makoto was working for. Shaking his head, Haru neatly stacks them into a pile and takes it over to Makoto's room.

He regrets walking into Makoto's room the instant he enters. Clearly, he had left to wherever he had gone, in more of a hurry than usual, not even pausing to throw his tshirt on his bed and instead it lies on his desk, crumpled and inside out and blatantly in need of a wash. Wrinkling his nose, Haru picks it up along with a pair of what looks like last week's socks, laying the papers on his desk, and proceeds out of his room as fast as he can.

It is a good thing Makoto respects privacy and space, because Haru walks into his own room moments later, which looks clean and spotless, exactly the way he had left it, just before he had left for training.

Taking his clothes off, he decides to run himself a bath, a much needed indulgence after the tiring train ride back home. As he sits in the bathtub, toying with the rubber dolphin he has had ever since his memories actually count for anything, his mind is filled with thoughts of his friends and more specifically the tall, broad-shouldered, green eyed _sloth _whose constant company is the only thing he finds himself desperately missing, even when he is away training.

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><p>Absently, he puts his mackerel on a plate, hesitating for a moment and setting out another plate, <em>just in case, <em>and thinks about giving Makoto a call.

Haru never uses his phone if he can help it. His friends have tried and tried to make him keep in touch, but it was just "too much work" and not even the master-manipulator, Nagisa could change his mind. Just as he reaches for his bag in order to get his phone, the door is thrown open and Haru can hear the clumsy thud of shoes being flicked off carelessly and he bites back a reprimand because it is _his_ house and he is entitled to keeping it messy, he supposes, up to a certain limit.

"Is that mackerel I smell?" comes a rather cheery voice and Haru can't help the smile that spreads involuntarily on his face, because it's about time the idiot came home, really, he was almost starting to worry.

"Where were you?" Haru asks, watching Makoto slip into the chair in front of him, a delighted grin plastered on his face. Was he grinning to see Haru or because of the food? Well surely, it wasn't the food because Makoto was never the biggest fan of mackerel, he had always appreciated anything Haru cooks for him. Yes, Haru is satisfied with this reasoning.

Shaking his head at his over analysis of something as small as a smile, Haru realizes that back in school, he used to take it for granted. Now that smile has become a somewhat rare commodity that he feels strangely possessive of.

"Home," Makoto says, before digging into the food Haru had prepared, surprisingly contrite with his answers today.

Makoto hesitates, knowing the obvious question that will follow, because Makoto never _ever _takes off of work, and Haru notices this. He notices him stuffing his mouth with more fervor than usual, a typical Makoto trait to distract himself from confrontation because Makoto is one of the worst liars ever born. So when he puts in an abysmal attempt to change the topic, Haru just goes along with it.

"How come you're back so early?" Makoto asks pleasantly, because Makoto is nothing if not pleasant, even when he feels himself being driven into a corner.

"No reason. Just felt like coming home," Haru says, his voice toneless as ever, thinking, _I wanted to see you, _and not saying it out loud. He _never_said those things out loud. Friends don't say that sort of thing to each other. Right?

"How are Rin and Sousuke?" Ah yes of course, more meaningless chatter so that he didn't have to tell Haru what his urgent trip back home was really for. Haru knows Makoto isn't obligated to tell him anything, but he can't help but turn his face to the side, an annoyed pout forming at his lips.

"They're good." His answers are curt and he looks over at Makoto properly for the first time since he came back, noticing that his friend now has dark circles underneath his normally-vibrant but now-drooping green eyes, his hair completely disheveled like fingers had been raked through it numerous times – Haru would prefer they were his own – and a smile that was, honestly, starting to look tired.

"You should sleep, Makoto," Haru says, walking to the front door to lock it. He stops short, looking at the bags that had been piled up right next to the door and narrowed his eyes. Makoto always carried only one small duffel bag every time he went home to visit. Now there were 4 bags lying on the floor.

Haru raises his eyebrows, the unstated questions fairly obvious to Makoto and as he walks towards Haru, he knows now would probably be the best time to lay down the facts.

"So mom called me home this weekend," Makoto starts unsurely clearly finding difficulty in explaining the situation, as Haru starts to get annoyed, watching him beat around the bush. What could he possibly be acting like a scared little kid for? It's not like he was going to punish him!

Haru did not even _want _ to think about the pun there.

"Well I'm 26 years old now," says Makoto, his talent for stating the obvious now showing itself. "And they've been talking a lot about marriage of late."

_Oh. _Haru hadn't been expecting that one.

"Ran and Ren have grown up now and I think my mom is being increasingly enticed by the idea of grandkids, so she's been dropping not-too-subtle hints for a couple of months now, ever since you went to Nagoya actually, and I didn't know what to do"- He was babbling nervously and Haru was just starting to understand where all this was leading when suddenly the doorbell rang.

Haru swung the door open only to find a petite young woman, hardly taller than about 5 feet, long wavy blonde hair and striking light blue eyes standing at their doorstep. Haru was fairly certain they weren't expecting any female visitors. "May I help you?" he says politely because Haru can do polite now; his social skills have increased considerably in his time apart.

Her face broke out into a grin of recognition. "Ah, you must be Haru-chan!" the blonde exclaims, waltzing into the house without waiting for an invitation, her over familiar tone not striking a good chord with Haru. "I'm Nase Keiko," she says, her smile bordering cocky, and Haru senses a feeling of superiority in the air, like she knows something he isn't aware of. "Makoto's told me _so_ much about you!"

_WHAT?!_

_Makoto knows her? And they're already on a first name basis?_

Makoto clears his throat nervously, watching Haru's eyes narrow at the blonde who had just identified as someone who was apparently close to Makoto, yet unknown to Haru, a thought that Haru most definitely didn't like, and says, "Um. Haru."

Haru snaps his steely gaze back to Makoto, an explanation clearly in order. "This is Keiko-chan, she's my father's friend's daughter. She lived in Iwatobi too! Do you remember? She was in our school!" Makoto looks at Haru searchingly, hoping that he would make this awkward situation slightly easier for him.

Haru is unfazed, looking like it really doesn't matter where she lived or where she studied, but _what the hell, is she doing in our house?"_

Makoto swallows, knowing that Haru hates these sort of things to be sprung upon him, hates surprises, just hates not knowing, really, and searches for how to say this is in the easiest way possible. Briefly he wonders about the nagging feeling tugging at his heart that makes him slightly, just slightly, _guilty _about this.

"Haru, she's my fiancé."

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><p><strong>AN : **This is the first time I'm writing for this ship. :S

Tell me what you think. :)


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

Don't resist the water, he thinks, accept its presence whether it is consuming you, or lapping at your feet, keeping you afloat, just accept it. It is all-encompassing, everywhere, all around you and when it is telling you something, you listen. Haru has always welcomed the water and lost himself to the sounds of nothingness, the silent whispers of the clear blue washing across his face. So this time when he hears whispers which aren't really silent, whispers which aren't even whispers, of an all too familiar chirpy voice, he is shaken out of his trance, an involuntary scowl appearing at his lips. His brain had even conjured up an image to go with it. The tiny blonde whose constant chatter could put even Nagisa to shame, who has just about taken away all of his peace these days.

Irritated, he opens his eyes, not even bothering to get out of the water, continuing his lazy drift to the edge of the pool. He stops at the edge and looks up and sees the familiar outstretched hand, waiting to lift him out of the pool, and for a moment, he seriously considers asking Makoto to accompany him to all of his tournaments, just so that he could take Makoto's hand at the end of every race. It's not that he needs the help to get out of the pool of course, it is more to do with the fact that Makoto's smile, ear to ear and beaming, like he is so proud of Haru, is undeniably one of the best sights to see after a race. So much so that he had actually considered writing it down and putting it in the time capsule when they were graduating.

Makoto being proud of Haru. Yes, he likes the sound of that.

So when Makoto pulls him out of the water and tells him that they should probably head home soon because Keiko would be waiting for them, Haru does nothing to hide the annoyance that is clearly visible on his face. Wordlessly he heads over to the showers as Makoto says goodbye to the last of his students.

"She's very… friendly, isn't she?" Makoto asks while they walk back home. He looks at Haru, apprehensive of what he will say because he isn't blind to the less-than-warm feelings he has for Keiko. Haru looks at him, deadpan, like he actually can't believe Makoto is asking him this.

Makoto grins, completely unsurprised with Haru's animosity. He figures he might as well tell him the entire story. "Mom and Dad felt that since I wasn't seeing anyone in Tokyo, they needed to do some matchmaking." His words are rushed because he knows exactly why he wasn't seeing anyone, but that isn't the kind of thing he can say out loud. To Haru at least. "Well since we're supposed to get married in three months," Haru's eyes pop because he didn't know about this little time bomb, "Keiko suggested that she comes back with me. So that we get to know each other better."

Haru's mind is stuck, unable to process anything beyond the fact that Makoto is getting married and in three months at that, and he doesn't like this. Not one bit. Sounding somewhat strained, he says, "Isn't three months a little too early to take such a big step?" Makoto just shrugs, giving him that easy, relaxed smile and says, "We'll just have to see how that goes, won't we?"

Ah, so that meant things could change. That this entire plan of Makoto getting hitched was not concrete, it wasn't set in stone and that things could go either way. Haru can't place his finger on why, but he feels _physically _better upon coming to this conclusion, and the tips of his mouth curve up into a smile.

But this is short-lived thanks to Makoto when he says, "But she seems nice." And on afterthought he adds, "And I guess you could call her cute." Which is unusual because Makoto usually refrains from passing judgement on women and their looks, ever since that one abysmal attempt at a relationship back in college, but Keiko is his fiancé so he figures he should probably pay more attention.

Because she certainly doesn't lack in the looks department. She maybe short but she is small in an attractive, petite way, with long blonde hair and blue eyes which are second only to Haru's. Ignoring his subconscious comparison with Haru, he brushes it off as him simply having a serious thing for blue eyes. So yes, he decides, Keiko is cute.

Haru purses his lips, not enjoying this one bit, because he would much rather forget about this topic in general, Makoto getting married or his fiancé staying with him or him finding her cute, he wants none of it. But Makoto doesn't seem to get the hint. So irritatedly, he responds, "She's a terrible cook."

And that statement is somehow supposed to convey all of his feelings about why that girl is absolutely so wrong for Makoto.

But Makoto being the angel that he is, just brushes it off with a laugh, saying, "I'm sure she'll learn," and Haru is sullen the rest of their way home.

Just as he had so accurately judged, her attempt at cooking dinner is far worse than Nagisa trying to make chicken soup for Rei when he is sick (how the hell does one manage to burn _soup?!_) and Haru accurately dodges her chirpy "Did you like it Haru-chan?" with just a "Drop the –chan," in return, and decides that he will much rather make a cup of instant ramen for himself after she falls asleep.

But Makoto smiles at her and eats her flavorless cuisine, looking almost indulgent, and Haru just wants to run away from this scene.

Makoto is friendly and open with just about anybody and there isn't a moment when Haru has disliked this trait more than now. So he excuses himself from dinner because he is more than just a little bit fed up, since being annoyed the entire day can be tough on anybody, especially Haru who generally just likes to float through things without any excess emotion, because, you know, _it's just too much effort. _

So when Makoto walks into the bathroom, when Haru is immersed in his little bathtub dreamland to tell him that he and Keiko were heading out for a post-dinner walk, he ends up squeezing his little dolphin so hard, one of its eyes pops out.

Absently, he toys with it, murmuring an apology because the last thing he wanted was to gouge its eye out, but he couldn't help it. He is wound up far beyond imagination and he doesn't like this feeling, gently working its way up to his chest and gnawing at him, every time he sees that blonde in _their _house, wearing _his _apron that Makoto gave him. Or every time Makoto talks about her or smiles at her.

Just the very idea of him being so at peace with the idea of getting married grates on his nerves in such a horrible way that Haru has to pinch the bridge of his nose and remind himself to exhale.

Closing his eyes, he tries to think about what exactly is bothering him, because it can't be just that girl's fault, she seems nice enough, he admits grudgingly. Even though this feeling is a smidgeon like that he harboured for Shigino Kisumi when he would fall all over Makoto, this is almost ten times as intense and uncomfortable.

He tries to rationalize and comes to the conclusion that this entire thing has just taken him by surprise, and that Makoto getting married is something he had just never thought about. That someone else being Makoto's top priority, is, even now, _unthinkable_.

This is normal, he thinks, he's got this under control and maybe he can stop being so hostile towards Makoto's fiancé. But he is barely able to complete the thought when he knows, because, _who is he even kidding, _nothing is under his control and he remembers a conversation with Nagisa from roughly a year ago, when the four of them had met after one of Haru's tournaments.

_"So what is up between you and Mako-chan?" the blonde chirped giving Haru a knowing smile._

_Haru hadn't known why, but he was suddenly conscious. "Nothing. Why?"_

_"Well Rei-chan and I have finally decided to take our relationship to the next level," Nagisa had said , winking, "So I thought I could ask you for advice."_

_For a second, Haru was confused. "What advice?" Nagisa had never, in the history of their acquaintance ever asked for advice. He was always the one giving it, whether it was asked for or not._

_"You know," he whispered conspiratorially, making these hand movements which Haru was sure crossed all levels of decency, particularly when there were other people around, promptly choking on his drink when he had realized what Nagisa was implying._

_"Why so shocked Haru-chan? It's okay to talk about these things, you know. Everybody has those urges!"_

_"Nagisa," Haru said, trying to keep his tone warning, but failing because this conversation had gotten him more flustered than he would've liked. "It's not like… that. Between us."_

_"What?!" Nagisa's eyes had gotten wide with curiosity and it was obvious he is trying not to laugh. "You mean you guys have never…?" _

Haru hadn't said anything because he isn't sure how Nagisa had come to that conclusion. He never even thought about Makoto that way!

Because surely that one time when Makoto was made to lift him up during a dare and Haru had gotten a certain _reaction _because it was exciting and made his heart race in a way he had never felt before, doesn't count.

Or when Makoto had pulled him out of the pool once and Haru had slipped on marble flooring only to be caught by a pair of strong hands, making him wonder what that same grip would feel like on certain parts of his body.

Or that _one _other time when they were showering after Makoto's weekend swimming classes and he just wouldn't stop talking about this one kid who had finally gotten the hang of the front crawl when Haru had thought of how those fast moving lips would feel against him.

Nope. Surely all of that doesn't mean _anything._

Haru sighs, getting out of the bathtub, closing the memory of that conversation because his relationship with Makoto wasn't anything like Nagisa and Rei's. He would like to think that it was different from everybody else's.

He dresses and comes out of his room for a drink of water before going to bed and he hears voices from Makoto's room _which he and Keiko were now sharing, _and guesses that they are probably back from their walk. He heads towards their room, because he likes saying 'goodnight' to Makoto before going to sleep and Keiko be damned, he wasn't going to break this habit however silly it may seem to a third person.

The door is open to about a foot's space, because Makoto never sleeps with the door open and Haru is about to push open the door and let himself in when he freezes.

Earlier he thought they were talking when he heard their voices. Now, standing behind the door, he is sure that there are no words being spoken, just gasps that are familiar to Haru but at the same time unfamiliar, because Makoto sounds different. Strained, hoarse and… _aroused. _He is also aware of a distinctly female noise, low and humming and he can hear soft, wet noises and he is closing his eyes telling himself not to look and that it's probably wrong and that he should just pretend he hasn't heard any of this and run to his room, but he can't stop himself. He peeks into the slight gap between the door and it's frame and he has to bite his lip hard so that his breathing isn't audibly loud.

He had thought he wasn't ready to hear about Makoto's impending marriage, or his fiancé but that was nothing compared to this, because he definitely wasn't ready for this. To _see _this. Makoto with his pants bunched around his ankles, sitting at the edge of his bed and the tiny figure between his legs, the definitive source of the wet noises he had heard earlier.

What hits him hardest is the way Makoto arches, his lips parted, eyes hazy, hands clutching the sheets as he fights for control when she works her way up and down his length. Haru's blood is rushing south and he knows that he can't stay here a moment longer, not if he knows what's good for him.

Belatedly he thinks that there is no more escaping this, he _definitely _doesn't like that girl and he most certainly doesn't like that she is the one making Makoto lose control. But there were other things, far _bigger _things, (pardon the pun) that were distracting him and he decides that it is best to sleep it off. Things will be clearer in the morning and he'll know why he's feeling this way.

But it is no surprise that Haruka's sleep is restless and that he wakes at 3 AM, hard and hurting and he has no choice but to push his sleep shorts down, and facing the images that were never really far away from his mind, he wraps his fingers around his erection, rough this time instead of delicate because he is imagining someone else's larger, rougher hands on him.

_Damn you, Makoto_, he thinks, _when the hell will you learn to close the goddamn door!_

He closes his eyes, picturing Makoto's face from a few hours earlier and he knows he wants to be the one making him feel that way, breathless and wanting. Haru licks his lower lip, jerking faster and harder, thinking it's all Makoto's fault, for looking like that, for sounding like that, and just for making Haru so desperate for him this way, and so he is more urgent with his actions, craving release.

Somewhere in a dark corner of his mind, he is aware that Makoto is in the next room, probably asleep, unaware of what Haru is doing right now. The guilt, the anger and the jealousy will probably come later, but for now there is only Makoto on his mind.

**A/N : Tell me what you think. :) **


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